AFCON 2025: Highlights and Key Moments from Matchday 1

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations has begun.

Twenty-four top teams from Africa are competing, with one set to become the champion.

After the first matchday, here are the key highlights from Africa’s top soccer tournament.

Senegal, Algeria, and Tunisia Shine While Nigeria, Egypt, and Morocco Struggle

All six favorites in AFCON won their opening matches, but the performances varied greatly. Senegal, Algeria, and Tunisia each scored three goals and secured comfortable victories. Algeria, in particular, showed a strong and confident game. In contrast, Nigeria, Egypt, and Morocco faced tougher challenges, needing to fight for their wins.

Morocco had an unusual match against Comoros, considered the weaker opponent, and expected to dominate. Instead, they missed many opportunities and ended up with a modest 2-0 victory that didn’t reflect their struggle. Was it the pressure of the crowd? The team needs to evaluate their performance and practice before facing Mali in the next match. To win their first AFCON trophy since 1976, they must improve decisively.

A highlight came from Morocco’s Ayoub El Kaabi, who scored a goal while upside down. This kind of skill is what the team needs more of to succeed in the tournament.